A pool spa is one of the most relaxing ways to unwind at the end of the day or to relax during the weekend. With the wide range of features and choices available, it can be overwhelming to plan your ideal spa. Here we take at a few of the top trends in pool spas for 2016.

Customized Lighting

Owners of luxury spas are interested in customizing their experience, and lighting is an area where this is particularly true. Adding color to the spa experience can affect mood, provide unique visual ambiance, and contribute to overall enjoyment. While entertaining in an outdoor living space, creating a custom light show or adjusting color to match the theme or mood of your event is a touch that many homeowners are seeking.

Today’s pool lighting can be set to a single color or to change colors. Many systems are programmable, allowing you to adjust speed, motion, and brightness. LED lights are the most popular choice due to their brightness, durability, and energy efficiency, with bulbs lasting up to 15 years.

Hydrotherapy Features

Whether you are seeking to maximize relaxation or to promote healing from joint or muscle injuries, hydrotherapy is a feature that can support your wellness goals. The theory behind this treatment is that water can promote healing on many levels. Water has the ability to carry heat, improve blood flow, soothe people, and impart a calm and relaxing effect on the mind and body. Due to these properties, hydrotherapy is used to tread conditions such as depression, nerve problems, headaches, muscle pain, sleep disorders, stress, and arthritis. It can also be an effective treatment for short and long-term pain reduction. Make sure to discuss the benefits and safety with your physician before you attempt to use hydrotherapy as part of a treatment plan.

For overall well-being, having a luxury spa with hydrotherapy features is a great addition to your backyard swimming pool area. It’s one of the main reasons people plan a spa project. Heat, buoyancy, and massage can help you to de-stress and relax.

Energy Efficiency

One of the main costs and energy drains of a pool spa is heating the water. The actual cost and amount of energy used depends on how often the spa is used, how much heat is lost to the environment, and other factors. Spas can be designed in more energy efficient ways by following these recommendations:

Only heat the spa when necessary.

Install a heat pump, which uses heat from the surrounding area to warm the water in the spa.

Use a cover when the spa is not in use. A thermal cover can help the spa to retain its heat, reduce water loss, and stay clean.

Set timers or heat the spa only when necessary.

Select the latest energy efficient spa equipment.

The benefits of having a pool spa include increased well-being and relaxation. When you combine this with customized lighting and energy efficient operations, you can enhance your enjoyment of the spa while reducing costs and reducing environmental impact. Discuss the options with your luxury pool and spa design professional or contractor.